Animal
Laughing kookaburra
An Australian relative of kingfishers with a laugh-like call that begins its hunt from a branch.
Content language
The voice of the laughing kookaburra resembles human laughter. It belongs to the kingfisher family, although its life is not closely tied to water. It comes from eastern and south-eastern Australia, where it inhabits open woodland and stands of trees. Its body measures about 40-45 centimetres in length.
A hunt begins with watching from a branch. Once it spots prey, the bird swoops down and seizes it in its beak. It eats insects, small mammals, reptiles and birds. This differs from the familiar image of a kingfisher diving for a fish: the kookaburra mainly watches for animals moving on land. Its large beak is a tool for catching prey.
Kookaburras are sedentary birds that defend their territory. They live in family groups of up to eight birds, and an established pair may remain together for life. They nest mainly in tree hollows and usually lay two to four eggs. The distinctive voice is therefore part of the social life of a bird with a permanent territory and close neighbours belonging to the same family.
For children
If you hear something like a chuckle, it may be a kookaburra. This Australian bird is related to kingfishers. It does not have to sit beside water, though: it lives in woodland and watches for prey from a branch.
When it spots an insect, a small mammal or another animal, it dives down and catches it in its beak. The branch is its lookout point. A kookaburra is about 40-45 centimetres long and hunts mainly animals that live on land.
It lives in a family group that may contain up to eight birds. A pair can stay together for life. Kookaburras hold a permanent territory and usually nest in a tree hollow. The female generally lays two to four eggs. The voice that sounds like laughter belongs to a bird with quite a serious family life.
Question 1 of 2
Where does a laughing kookaburra watch for prey?
- Location
- Bird Trail - kookaburras, number 36 on the map